On the Run: Boston Marathon heroes Dick and Rick Hoyt will be honored with statue

Dick Hoyt, right, and his son, Rick, at the Team Hoyt restaurant in Holland. The Hoyts, who have been an inspiration to many, will run their 31st Boston Marathon on April 15.Republican file photo

Local legends Dick and Rick Hoyt will be honored April 8 by the Boston Athletic Association when a statue is unveiled of them near the start of the Boston Marathon.

Rick has been wheelchair-bound with cerebral palsy since birth. When he was 15 years old, he asked his father to push him in a 5-mile road race. He later told his father “Dad, when I’m running it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

More than 1,000 races later, father Dick and son Rick, from Holland, are still at it. Dick, now 72, and Rick, 50, will run in their 31st Boston Marathon on April 15.

Team Hoyt has been such an inspiration that the sponsor of the 117th Boston Marathon, John Hancock Insurance Co., commissioned Texas artist Mike Tabor to sculpt a bronze statue of them. The statue will be placed in front of Center School in Hopkinton adjacent to the Boston Marathon starting line. Wheelchair athletes have been gathering behind this elementary school for years before each year’s marathon.

The marathon will also coincide with the launching of Timex’s “I am a Runner” campaign. The campaign will be a celebration of inspirational runners, including the Hoyts.

Once again more than 100 runners from Team Griffin will be running the Boston Marathon. Griffin’s Friends, in its 19th year, supports the “Griffin’s Friends Children’s Cancer Fund” at Baystate Health Foundation. It is funded by running volunteers with a simple mission statement “To Bring Moments of Joy to Courageous Kids.”

Griffin’s Friends, founded in 1994, is named after Griffin Kelleher, who passed away at the age of 14 months after a battle with cancer. His legacy is this growing group of runners that supports children with cancer by providing nonmedical services for the children and their families.

Their major fund-raiser is the Marathon Challenge. Participating runners raise a minimum of $400 in contributions and pledges with their goal to complete the Boston Marathon. Proceeds are used for the enhancement of activities for hospital and clinic cancer patients and their families. Many of the children and their families are on the course during race day to cheer for their Team Griffin runners.

Information about this dedicated group of runners, who are frequently seen in large groups with their blue Team Griffin jackets, running the streets of Springfield and Longmeadow during weekends, can be found on their website www.griffinsfriends.com

MULTIPLE FINISHERS: I’d like to hear from any runners who have finished the Boston Marathon many times and any runners with a consecutive-years streak as well.

ROAD RACE CALENDAR: Look for the Road Race Calendar in the sports section of the Sunday Republican. 

Seth Roberts writes the On The Run Column bi-monthly. His email is asethroberts@gmail.com 